patellar/kneecap and meniscus are two different things

sometimes kneecap issues can be caused by a muscle imbalance of the inner/outer quads which may be addressed by PT.
otherwise the kneecap can rub out the cartilage in it and cause real problems down the road

depending on where the meniscus tear is, it could be snipped out and you be painfree in a matter of days
otherwise if it is in a load bearing area there are long term arthritis risks as it is no longer there to provide a cushioning effect